Araphen
Araphen is the largest and most southern country of Taloran, and has improved dramatically despite its somewhat recent status as a total wasteland in stark contrast to its bountiful northern neighbor, Aevengard. Araphen was left to decay outside of Aevengard’s veil when it went up, already being a land of mostly sandy desert split by dangerous arid peaks. However, when the veil came down, the area near the coasts began to become fertile again. While Araphen is still mostly desert and ruins, its coasts now boast a number of impressive cities. One if its most striking features is its northern border, the Split Peak mountains, a large mountain range split down the center for its full length by the veil when it went up, and opened to the world when it came down. Those wonders, great and terrible, that had been confined to the depths were now open to the world, leading to both great wealth and greater dangers. Araphen’s widely-untouched ruins, rough deserts, and mystical mountains, attracted powerful and famous adventurers and explorers from around the world to set up shop on the rich coasts and launch expeditions inward. A small republic Araphen’s cities and provinces keeps the cities thriving and the dangers of monstrous nomads, and large monsters themselves, at bay. Notable Groups in Araphen * The Veiled Parliament: Araphen’s governing body is a loose republic, comprised of a representative legislature from its main cities and their surrounding territories. The name comes from the traditional veils worn in the parliamentary chambers by those entreating the government for assistance or to promote certain interests. It is felt that anonymity of interested parties best keeps the actual representatives from playing favorites. The Parliament currently has representatives from each coastal city, and the one non-coastal city of Araphen, Sandstone. ' * The Council of Janni: Many thought that the roving monsters were the most dangerous part of Araphen in the days before its revitalization, but the true threats were the Genies. Efreeti, fire genies, and Djinni, air genies, waged their never-ending proxy war across the sands, often in gladiatorial fights in their colosseum. The Genasi, also known as Janni or Suli, are native to this material plane yet descended from these genies, and it was through their alliance that they pushed the largest dangers of their ancestors out. The Council now sits at the Colosseum, where they have established a flourishing society and gained representation in the Veiled Parliament. * [[The Copperhead Crag Gang|'The Copperhead Crag Gang ']] ' Notable Locations in Araphen * Tinhaven: Tinhaven was the first real city in Araphen, and got its name from the ramshackle building comprised of whatever small pieces of scrap its denizens could cobble together. It was a noted stop of the adventurers who saved Aevengard, being located in the face northwest reaches of Araphen, and has thus grown to include mostly modern buildings and rich manors eclipsing the abandoned but preserved scrap huts. Aside from a population of locals and adventurers of all races, a notable number of kobolds and other misfits walk its streets. * The Paean Mountains: The Paean Mountains run the length of Araphen from the north to south border. Many monstrous societies have remained deeply entrenched in its dangerous depths, notably including some drow and yuan-ti settlements. More recently, a number of dwarves have relocated to the Paean Mountain after losing their holdings in what has become the split-peak mountains. Their primary settlement is known as Sandstone - the only true city in Araphen that does not lie along its coast. * The Split-Peak Mountains: The Split-Peak Mountain are a magical anomaly, carved in half from peak to base and split open heightwise to the world. Many Dwarves’ holds were similarly cleaved and lost, evaporating the wealth of a number of prominent families. Worse yet, those things that slept in the depths of the mountains were now exposed to the sunlight, and often they were quite angry about that.